Writing about the food, farmers, fishermen, and folk of Long Island's North Fork.

The Northforker

08/26/2015

A cycle tour is one of the best ways to take in the Rock's rich heritage.

Published in the August 2015 edition of Northforker Outdoors

The North Ferry landing and Ferry House around 1890 doesn’t look so different today. Courtesy of the Shelter Island Historical Society

The only way to get to Shelter Island is by boat, and on the North Ferry from Greenport your voyage is ten glorious minutes of salty air, sailboats, seabirds, and charming Victorian cottages as you approach the docks. With that kind of introduction, it’s easy to imagine that the ferry is taking you back to an earlier time.

Roll off the ferry on a bike, instead of a car, and you transform your visit to this beautiful and sometimes quirky place into a real tour-not a drive-by. The pace of Shelter Island is slow, and has been since the Manhanset Indians spent their summers living off the land and bays of Shelter Island over a thousand years ago.

The excellent (and free) map of Shelter Island available at the North Ferry office shows all 8000 acres of this seven-mile wide island, about a third of which is the Mashomack nature preserve. Consider this 10-mile bike route a starting point for further exploration.

Follow Rt. 114 off the ferry, up the hill and into the heart of “The Heights” a Victorian-era resort community of gingerbread cottages, a beach club and chapel conceived as a Methodist retreat. You’ll pass The Chequit, which was the restaurant for the Methodist camp, and is now a hotel.

Continue on Rt. 114, turning left to cross the first of the Island’s two tiny bridges into the shops of Bridge Street, which still looks a lot like it looked in the 19th century, except for the rustic archway and unpaved road

Bridge Street in the 1920s looks a lot like Bridge Street almost 100 years later. Courtesy of the Shelter Island Historical Society

If you have not already made provision for lunch, this would be a good time to stop at Marie Eiffel Market across from the gas station for a sandwich or salad to go, or to eat on the outdoor tables. Her baguettes are home-baked with a wonderful crust and pleasant chew.

Back on Route 114, climb up the hill from Bridge Street and continue about a mile to the white stone gates, on the left of Sylvester Manor where sugar merchant Nathaniel Sylvester established a plantation in 1651.

Continue straight onto Manwaring Road and look for the Windmill, on your left, built in 1810 to replace an even older one that burned down.

Take the first left at the traffic circle onto Ram Island Road, formerly known as Factory Road because it led toan industrial site that sustained the economic health of Shelter Island in the 19th century, the Menhaden Fish Factories. Menhaden is a tiny, oily fish that was cooked down in large cauldrons and used for fuel, fertilizer and for tarring nets.

Ram Island Road becomes Gardiner’s Bay Road, and a right turn on Menhaden Lane leads to Hay Beach, one of the loveliest beaches on the Island. The only oily things cooking on the sands these days are the sunbathers.

Menhaden were cooked in kettles like this one in Dering Harbor. The kettles are still a common sight all over the Island.

Ride back up Menhaden Lane and left on Gardiner’s Bay Road. A left turn on Ram Island Drive leads you to Little and Big Ram Islands, which were linked by causeway to the rest of Shelter Island in the early 20th century. Many of the telephone poles on the causeway out to Little Ram Island are topped with osprey nests, and if you keep a respectful distance you may observe these large birds catching fish well above the size limit, feeding young ospreys the size of turkeys, and otherwise going about their business.

At about 5 miles from the ferry, you’ll reach the halfway point, Ram’s Head Inn on the right, a beautiful inn and restaurant perched on a hill above Coecles Harbor. The expansive hammock and chair-strewn lawn is a great place for a drink.

Turn left out of the Ram’s Head to return on Ram Island Drive, the views on your right are of Gardiners Bay, with the lighthouse known as Bug Light to the North, looking like an insect perched on the water off the shore of Orient.

Turn left on Ram Island Road and then right on Cobbetts Lane which curves up and flattens out into an line of old oaks and maples starting with the white oak on the right just past Overlook Place, which is thought to be about 150 years old. These trees are reminder of the importance of Island timber to the barrel construction that was central to transporting goods by ship, said to be the reason Nathaniel Sylvester bought Shelter Island in the first place.

Turn right on Manhanset Road and ride through a flat area of dense woods, shady and cool. Where the woods end, an enormous Beech Hedge, planted 75 years ago by LaVerne Hench, and one of only two on the eastern end of Long Island, welcomes you to the hamlet of Dering Harbor.

This quarter-mile long Beech hedge lets you know you have arrived in Dering Harbor.

Follow Manhanset onto Locust Point Road and turn right on Yoco and left on Shore Road past a row of impressive mansions looking out on Dering Harbor.

Follow Shore Road as it turns into Winthrop and over a second bridge (known by the straightforward local people as” Second Bridge”) where you can pause, look to your left, and see a lovely inlet, (or “creek” as it is known by the enigmatic local people.)

This is the ancient heart of Shelter Island, where native Manhanset tribes established a village over a thousand years ago on the point, and just beyond that is the spot Nathaniel Sylvester chose to build a Manor House in 1651. On your right is Dering Harbor with views North to Greenport.

Continue on Winthrop to North Ferry Road, aka Rt. 114, where a right turn takes you back through Bridge Street to the North Ferry.

A boat is the only way to get to this Island, and a boat is the only way off, so time your departure for sundown, head for the West side of the ferry and enjoy the show.

Dering Harbor seen from First Bridge near the end of a great bike ride.

For years, prevailing pre-race nutrition advice was to eat a high carbohydrate meal at dinner the night before. It was called carbo-loading, and often involved eating a gigantic serving of pasta. For me, those were the glory days of running.

Sadly, the practice of eating a large amount of high carbohydrate food the day before a race is out of favor, particularly before athletic events that last less than an hour. Current practice is a diet of moderate carbohydrate rich meals in the weeks leading up to a race, and easily digested carbohydrates and low fiber fruits, like bananas, peeled apples and juices on race day.

There is one real runner in my family, my husband, so I asked him for his best pre-race nutrition advice. Still haunted by his experience in the D.C. Cherry Blossom 10-mile Run in 2001, he said, “Do not eat at a Chinese restaurant the night before a big race.”

Fortunately for the Shelter Island 10K runners, that won’t be a problem, since there is not currently a Chinese restaurant on Shelter Island. But there are plenty of good alternatives.

Most races happen first thing in the morning; but our 10K starts at 5:30 p.m. That means pre-race eating includes breakfast and lunch.

“Poor runners, to have to run so late in the afternoon!” said Marie Eiffel, whose café (Marie Eiffel Market, 184 N. Ferry Rd. (631-749-0003) has beautiful and nutritious offerings for breakfast and lunch. Her farro, raisin, almond, and goat cheese salad tastes even better paired with a hunk of her signature baguette and the water-view from the picnic tables outback.

“We also do a lot of vegetables roasted or grilled for the runners, Marie said, “and of course fresh juices.” For something more substantial, pre-race pasta doesn’t get any better than Marie’s Pasta with pancetta, onions and black truffles. She also offers excellent homemade soups every day, including vegan, gluten-free mushroom, and a carrot ginger soup. Either would be a nutritious and easy-to-digest lunch for a runner.

Maria’s Kitchen, 55 North Ferry Road (631) 749-5450 is open 8am to 8pm for pre or post-race nutrition needs. Maria’s cooking is Mexican, but not spicy unless you ask for it. Her menu highlights fresh fruits and vegetables, and she makes juice from just about anything with a leaf or a stem. Her wraps are made with whole wheat; including one with grilled vegetables, greens, avocado and pesto, or the Shrimp Salad Wrap with fresh carrots, avocado, lettuce, corn, and lightly cooked shrimp that have a wonderful snap as you bite into them.

A good meal is important for recovery, and after 6.2 miles, a sit-down restaurant might be welcome. 18 Bay Ali Bevilacqua and Keith Bavaro run two such establishments, and they dish out some of the best food and welcoming ambiance on the Island.

Shelter Island House, 11 Stearns Point Rd. (631) 749-5659 has an upscale, pub feel. Keith suggested runners looking to re-up their carbs, and eat for recovery might go with the Chiocciole Pasta with Ricotta Salata, or the Chia Crusted Salmon.

Keith and Ali also run Salt, (631) 749-5535, at a lovely, waterfront location adjacent to the Island Boatyard Marina. The Linguini with steamed, local Little Neck clams is a mainstay of their innovative menu. They also make a great veggie burger, packed with protein and low fat carbohydrates, farro, oats, chickpeas, spinach, black beans and avocado.

Salt serves lunch and dinner and Shelter Island House will be open for dinner, and Sunday brunch for those still needing post-race replenishment. The 10K post-race party happens under the stars at Salt, with drinks and a band. Once you’ve had a good meal, you can dance all night.

01/28/2015

When Shelter Island got over two feet of snow on Tuesday, The Northforker picked up my piece on snow sports Shelter Island-style, which originally appeared in the Suffolk-Times Holiday supplement. Read it here.

01/06/2015

Although I am a grown woman, snow in the forecast makes me very happy. I have cross-country skis.

It only takes two or three inches of white stuff to ski on Shelter Island. Last winter, that was no problem from Christmas right through March. The 2014/2015 Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts another winter of above-normal snowfall for our area.

“Out here, people often hunker down in a snowstorm,” said Holly Cronin, a Shelter Island resident who has skied all over the Northeast “When you ski, you get the joy of being outdoors in the snow, and even on a cold day, you will sweat.”

The only officially-designated cross-country trails on Shelter Island are at Mashomack Preserve. Bring your own skis or snowshoes, and don’t expect groomed trails, snowmaking or much company.

“It’s whatever Nature provides,” Cindy Belt, Education Coordinator at Mashomack said, “On the weekends, there might be half a dozen people in a day.”

Shelter Island resident Kim Reilly agreed.

“The difference skiing at Mashomack, that I haven’t experienced elsewhere, is the sense of being completely alone and surrounded by nature.”

In the summer, dense foliage hides Miss Annie’s Creek, one of the most charming bodies of water on the Island, but in winter, glimpses of the creek show through bare trees. “You really appreciate the ups and downs, the hills and valleys,” Belt said.

A six-mile cross-country loop consists of parts of the Mashomack trail system connected by a section open only during the winter. For a 10-mile loop, add the longer (and bumpier) “Blue” trail. Mashomack is open 9am to 4pm October through February and closed Tuesdays. In January, the Visitor Center is open only on the weekends.

When the first flakes fly, and school is out, the entire able-bodied population of Shelter Island heads for Goat Hill, also known as The Shelter Island Country Club. A nine-hole public golf course, it boasts the highest point of land on the Island, with spectacular views.

The last time I “Skied the Goat” it was crawling with sledders, including my sons. I kept to the middle of the fairways making a long loop around the course. Swooshing past the bottom of the hill, I avoided human missiles on unsteerable contraptions like giant salad bowls. I loved every minute.

Sylvester Manor Educational Farm is a 243-acre property laced with footpaths and trails that wind through farmland and woods with views of Gardiner’s Creek. Executive Director Cara Loriz said that although they have not yet established cross-country ski trails, they welcome wintertime visitors, provided they call first.

A fireplace is an important amenity after a day of skiing. Two Shelter Island inns with fireplaces are open in the winter: The Ram’s Head Inn, with fireplaces in the lobby, bar area and restaurant, and the House on Chase Creek with a fireplace-equipped suite.

09/08/2014

Dr. Frank Adipietro loves being on the water during his daily commute. “If you didn’t enjoy it you wouldn’t do it.”

Published in Northforker Health and Fitness, September 4, 2014.

For most of us, getting to work involves owning and operating a car, on roads shared with other cars. Just hearing the words, “morning commute” can induce a stress reaction. Which is not so good for your health.

Like most of us, Dr. Frank Adipietro commutes every day. But he measures his commute in nautical miles (11 each way) and his speed in knots (around 20.) The internal combustion engine that gets him to work at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport, from his home on Shelter Island is an Outboard 250HP Yamaha 4 stroke engine on a 23-foot Grady-White named the MaryE, (for his wife, Mary Ellen.)

Frank Adipietro is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and President of the Medical Staff at Eastern Long Island Hospital where he has worked since 1998. He and his family live on Ram Island, a northeasterly arm of Shelter Island, which extends right into Gardiner’s Bay.

Since 1999, in winter and summer, rain, snow and fog, the man known to all as Dr. Frank, has commuted by boat. When he realized it could be done, he knew he had to do it. “We live on an island, and the hospital is on the water and it was a perfect set up. If the hospital was a half a mile inland, it wouldn’t work.”

When the weather is good, the trip typically takes him 20-30 minutes from a dock on Ram Island, to his “personal parking space”; a dock he rents across the creek from the hospital in Greenport.

On the way to his own slip, Dr. Adipietro passes the emergency dock at Eastern Long Island Hospital every day. One of the only structures of its kind anywhere, it provides marine access to emergency care for Eastern Long Island.

Dr. Frank Adipietro is an anesthesiologist and runs the Interventional Pain Management Center at ELIH, which serves patients from as far east as Montauk, and as far west as Port Jefferson. He’s also Vice-Chairman of the Board of ELIH. On a typical day he might see 35 patients before heading back to Shelter Island in time to coach his 6th grade son’s Little League team or attending his soccer games. “When you are dealing with children’s schedules, you can’t be late

In 1999, the first year ELIH offered pain management services, Dr. Frank saw about 50 cases. Within five years, the center was seeing about 3000 cases, and in 2013, 6000 patients sought help for pain at ELIH. “ It’s a very, very busy program. It just became a need that had to be filled.”

Pain is one of these fields, where it can be very taxing obviously for the patient who is in pain. Everybody who works in the center knows we are dealing with a population of patients that are suffering, they are suffering a lot. It’s something we all know… to have the compassion and empathy to deal with someone in pain. Right now we are something of a destination service. We get referrals from a lot of different places. It’s worked out well for the patients and the hospital.”

Mornings on the water are often spent mentally preparing for his very full days. “I’m not one to listen to music. I just look around and enjoy being on the water. You have to enjoy it If you didn’t enjoy it you wouldn’t do it. This is one of the great things about living on an island.”

Dr. Frank commutes by boat every day he can. Fog, and rain are just an excuse to go a little slower. He crossed once in a hailstorm that shredded the canvas T-Top covering his cockpit.

“One thing that’s problem in the winter is the cold…you can’t fire up a furnace on a boat.” So a few years back, Dr. Frank added heated gloves, a hat, and a survival suit (which would theoretically give him 45 minutes to get out of cold water) to his wintertime gear. He also hooks himself to a safety switch that cuts off the motor if he should fall overboard.

Dr. Frank has never fallen into the water while underway, but he has slipped getting in and out of the boat at the dock. “ I have definitely been in the water…when that’s happened usually you are not thinking about safety, not ‘this is dangerous’, because it’s not. You just get out of the water.”

And then there was the time he left for home in a December snowstorm so intense that he lost his GPS and radar along the way. His half hour commute became an hour and a half using time-honored navigation techniques; primarily his knowledge of the waters and landmarks. “In a storm you really have to go slow, but you have to keep going forward. To have control of the boat, it has to be in motion.”

Frank remembers the time a man interviewing at ELIH for a nurse anesthetist position, arrived at Westhampton airport with his flight delayed so much he couldn’t check into his hotel. So Frank invited him to bunk with the Adipietro’s on Shelter Island. It was February. Frank told him, “ The good news is, you are coming to work with me. The bad news is, you’re coming in a boat.”

Which is how one February day, 32 degrees, no wind and sunny, the two men made the crossing together, the job candidate wearing a leather jacket and a really good attitude. “He works here today, and he still tells that story…the man has character, he has courage, there’s no question about it. He said, ‘ It’s a little cold out here, but I’ll be fine.’ He jumped on the boat and said ‘ let’s go.’”

Long-distance running brings many joys. Among them are the chance to get outside and enjoy nature, the surge of endorphins known as runner’s high, and the excuse to eat a lot of pasta. I speak from experience, as a person who ran over six miles, several times back in the 80’s. Since it was a long time ago, I can’t really remember the endorphins, but I do recall that mythical binge known as carbo-loading.

Carbo-loading refers to the practice of eating glycogen-rich foods like pasta the day before an endurance event. Glycogen, which is stored glucose, improves performance by providing reserves for the liver and muscles to draw on during an endurance event like a long run or a daylong hike.

This pasta recipe has all the satisfying flavor of a meat sauce, but uses only a few ounces of pancetta. It only takes about 45 minutes to make it, leaving you plenty of time to digest and get a good night’s sleep before the big event.

For day-of-race nutrition, this smoothie, made with fresh strawberries, peaches and that milder relative of mint--basil makes a great breakfast, or after-race recovery drink.

10K Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Olives and Pancetta

Makes four 6 ounce servings

1.5 pounds plum tomatoes

¼-1/2 cup tomato juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 oz (1 cup) diced pancetta

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

½ cup green olives crushed, pits removed and coarsely chopped

¼ cup red wine

1 tablespoon salt

½ pound penne

¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Split the tomatoes and place them cut-side down in an oiled baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer. Add enough tomato juice to the natural juices so the tomatoes sit in about 1/4 inch of liquid and drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil over the tomatoes. Roast for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are browned, and the juices are bubbling. Let the tomatoes cool slightly and, using a pastry cutter or two knives, coarsely chop the cooked tomatoes. Set aside.

While the tomatoes are cooking, cook the pancetta in a 14-inch skillet, over low heat for about 15 minutes, until browned. Add a teaspoon of the olive oil to the pan, add the garlic, and cook slowly until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the olives to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes over low heat.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the wine to the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the penne according to the time on package and drain, setting aside about ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta, cheese and parsley to sauce in the skillet. Stir the pasta until the cheese is blended and the sauce coats the penne. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta water. Taste and add salt as necessary.

Strawberry, Peach and Basil Smoothie

Makes four 6 ounce servings

1/2 lb strawberries, (about 12 medium) with stems trimmed off

2 small fresh peaches, sliced off the pit, with skin

1/3 cup plain, unsweetened non-fat yogurt

¼ cup orange juice

10 basil leaves washed and torn

2-4 tablespoons honey (amount depends on the sweetness of the fruit)

3 cups ice cubes

Combine the strawberries, peaches, yogurt, orange juice, basil leaves and 2 tablespoons of the honey in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste for sweetness and add additional honey if needed. Add the ice cubes and puree to a milkshake consistency. Serve with a straw or long spoon

With sweeping views west to Pipes Cove, east to Gardiners Bay and ahead to the bluffs of Shelter Island Heights, the North Ferry ride from Greenport offers a 15-minute introduction to the geography, geology and climate of Long Island’s North Fork. Some people say you can taste the North Fork in the food and wine produced from its fruits, vegetables and animals.

The proprietors of three distinguished Shelter Island Restaurants — Terry Harwood at Vine Street Café, Joe and Dennis Smith at the Ram’s Head Inn and Jimi Rando at Sweet Tomato’s — find a sense of place they can taste in the food and wine created on the North Fork. They say they find inspiration in the local fish, shellfish, cheese, produce and wines. And when they discuss their signature dishes, they also like to talk about the Long Island wines they pour with them.

(Credit: Julie Lane)

Vine Street Café

Lisa and Terry Harwood’s Vine Street Café has been delighting diners on Shelter Island since 2003 with a menu that’s in harmony with Long Island’s land and seasons.

You can still hear a hint of Tennessee when Terry Harwood speaks, a reminder of his being “born and raised … on my grandpa’s vegetable farm.” Where he grew up, all vegetables were local and organic because that’s what they could get.

From the beginning, Long Island wines were an important part of the experience at Vine Street Café.

“Our wines are grown on an island surrounded by the sea where ocean breezes along with a particular soil composition gives that distinct mineral note to most Long Island wines,” Harwood says. “Our vegetables are grown in the same soil with the same breezes, so it makes for a better fit.”

Duck confit is a year-round favorite at Vine Street Café and Harwood likes to pair it with Bedell Cellars merlot. He also uses the merlot in the reduction for the duck jus.

“It’s the French oak barrels that tame the tannins and therefore do not overpower the delicate duck confit,” he says.

To accompany fish preparations, such as pan-roasted wild striped bass with roasted root vegetable-kale salad and potato-crusted local fluke with fingerling potato, Harwood calls for Bon Appetit Chardonnay from The Lenz Winery.

“We love and serve Lenz’s reds,” he says. “But I like pairing the chardonnay because of its straightforward, dry citrus and crispness, which goes so well with many of our seasonal white fish preparations.”

He says he’s impressed with the wine being made on Long Island.

“We have smart winemakers who are handcrafting some great wines that can only come from our soil,” Harwood says. “I take personal inspiration from this.”

(Credit: Eleanor P. Labrozzi)

Ram’s Head Inn

Since 1929, the Ram’s Head Inn has stood at the crest of a hill blanketed by a huge green lawn, dotted with old trees and sloping down to Coecles Harbor.

Chef Joseph Smith, who began his cooking career in the Ram’s Head kitchen when he was just 16, designs his menu both to honor the history of the building and to show off the bounty of the North Fork.

His brother, general manager Dennis Smith, pairs those dishes with the best Long Island wines.

A great meal at The Ram’s Head Inn often starts with oysters.

“I always have a local oyster. I’ll get Montauk Pearls, Blue Points … most people like the East Coast oysters,” the chef says. “They are brinier.”

Dennis Smith likes to pair local oysters with Sparkling Pointe Brut, the award-winning sparkling wine made in Southold.

A highlight of last spring’s menu was herb-crusted rack of lamb with morels and crushed fava beans — a local specialty. Dennis Smith paired it with Pellegrini Vineyards’ 2007 Petit Verdot.

In developing their menu, the brothers work closely, collaborating to balance the flavor profile of each dish with its paired wine and keeping in mind the strengths of the local wines.

(Credit: Julie Lane)

Sweet Tomato’s

Take a beautiful old Victorian house in Shelter Island Heights, equip it with a wood-burning brick oven fueled by kiln-dried hardwood, add an Italian-American family obsessed with food and you have the start of a great restaurant. But according to general manager Jimi Rando, a trip to Northern Italy in 2009 was the defining event for Sweet Tomato’s.

“Northern Italy and Shelter Island,” Rando says. “We really wanted to connect the two because we felt there really was a connection. On the plane ride back, my brother and I wrote our first great menu. It was a success. That was when we really started to do what we are doing now.”

That’s also when they were introduced to a Tuscan dish called zucca fresca, a raw salad of green and yellow zucchini sliced thin, to resemble pappardelle, and dressed. Only their version takes advantage of the North Fork’s great zucchini.

“A lot of our dishes are replicated from something we saw there,” Rando says of his trip to Italy.

His short ribs have become Sweet Tomato’s signature dish.

“We serve the whole short rib,” he says. “We braise it for nine hours, put it over pappardelle with a brown demiglaze with a little wine added.” To accompany those short ribs, he recommends Dos Aguas from Macari, a wine named for the two waters that embrace the North Fork.

“I think the 2008 Dos Aguas was one of the best values,” he says. “In so many ways it represents the North Fork for what it is.”

The brick oven plays an important role in many dishes at Sweet Tomato’s, including the oven-roasted fluke, made with olives and rosemary and served on a mascarpone risotto with asparagus.

“The olives wilt a bit in the oven, and I almost char the asparagus to get that woody taste of the oven,” he says.

Of course, a great Shelter Island restaurant experience ends with a great dessert — and Macari’s Block E Ice Wine got the nod from more than one Shelter Island chef as the North Fork wine to serve with that last course.

Rando described the effect of pairing it with his zabaglione, which is served with shaved young pecorino and balsamic reduction: “Every bite tastes like white chocolate.”

12/10/2013

According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, this year’s New York apple harvest is one of the best in history.

That is good news in my household, where the fruit flies shake their heads in disbelief as our boys beat them to the apples. Even our hound takes part in the feeding frenzy. Only 12 inches high, he can take a running start, elevate several feet, arch his body and snag a Macoun from the fruit bowl.

The best use of fall apples is to eat them out of hand. My favorite eating apple is the Macoun, and you can buy them now at Wickham’s Fruit Farm on the Main Road in Cutchogue. Tom Wickham, whose family has farmed that land since 1661, says, “Macouns will keep three weeks refrigerated and about 10 days if not. They have more body than some varieties and don’t cook down as much.”

Since the governor’s instructions were to “taste the variety of products from our vibrant apple industry,” I decided to try some new varieties in cooking. This recipe for apple crisp uses the three varieties that Tom Wickham recommends as ideal for cooking: Cortland, Mutsu (aka Crispin) and Jonagold.

Wickham says, “When cooking apples, a mixture of varieties is best. The flavors are more complex and the different textures complement each other.”

I like to slice the apples very thin with skins on to get more flavor, texture, and a nice rosy color in the cooked apples.

There are two new apple varieties being grown in New York State, and Mr. Wickham reports that one of them, Snapdragon, will be available at his farm next year, from trees that were planted last spring. Snapdragon has the spicy sweetness of a Honeycrisp but is much easier to grow, stores better and is red and juicy. That sounds good enough to make my hound howl at the fruit bowl.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8-inch-wide, 4-inch-deep baking dish.2. Toss the peeled, sliced apples with the lemon juice and put into the buttered dish.3. Mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, butter, nuts, spices and vanilla together in a bowl, squeezing and rolling with your hands until the mixture is crumbly.4. Sprinkle the sugar/oats mixture over the apples in a rough layer.5. Bake about 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the apples are fork-tender.6. For dessert, top with whipped cream or ice cream. It also makes a fine breakfast, topped with a 1/4 cup of heated milk.

11/23/2013

Deep in the waters of Greenport Harbor, partially buried in the sandy bottom, are scores of large fish, brown on one side and white on the other. Call them fluke, summer flounder or doormats: these flat, bottom-dwelling fish with both eyes on the same side of their heads are ugly — and delicious.

They look a lot like the flounder that is plentiful in fish markets, but fluke are generally larger and are said to have a sweeter taste. How do you tell a fluke from a flounder without taking a bite?

“You can tell by the mouth,” says Candice Manwaring of Southold Fish Market. “Fluke have a long jaw and flounder have a ‘puppy mouth.’”

Long Island fluke is a local delicacy so prized that many fish caught commercially are sent to New York or Japan for use in sushi. But why let these tasty fish be shipped all over the world when we could be eating them right here? Break out the limes and sharpen your knives. It’s ceviche time.

Ceviche is a traditional method of preparing fresh fish with an acidic broth or marinade, such as lime juice, vinegar or bitter orange (naranja). The acidic broth causes the fish to become flaky and opaque, as if it had been cooked. Maricel Presilla, in her landmark book, “Gran Cocina Latina,” (W.W. Norton, 2012) devotes an entire chapter to “Cebiches,” describing the diversity of styles and traditions of this dish in Peru, Ecuador and Chile.

This recipe is an adaptation of Maricel Presilla’s instructions, using ingredients from Eastern Long Island. With the exception of the limes and the salt, everything you need for this dish is available now, from our waters and farms.

Local fluke and flounder are available at Southold Fish Market (Route 25 in Southold) and flounder is available on the Island at Commander Bob’s Fish Market, Commander Cody’s and Clark’s Fish House.

Ceviche Shelter Island-StyleServes 4 as an appetizerPreparation time: 30 minutes to chop and assemble, 15 minutes to “cook” in the marinade.1 pound of fresh fluke or flounder filets1 teaspoon sea salt2 garlic cloves, crushed and dicedMarinade:1 1/2 cups lime juice (8 to 10 limes)1/2 red onion, sliced very thin1 tablespoon cilantro1 jalapeno pepper, tops and seeds removed and cut in halfUp to 4 ice cubesGarnish:1 ear of sweet corn, barely steamed, kernels cut off the cob6 cherry tomatoes cut in half1 teaspoon jalapeno, very thin half-moon slices1. Briefly rinse and dry the fish. Run your fingers over the filets to check for bones and remove them. With a sharp knife, cut the filets into 1-inch pieces and put them in a shallow, non-metal dish. Add garlic and salt and set aside for 10 minutes.2. In a non-reactive bowl, combine the lime juice, onion, cilantro and pepper halves. Add the ice cubes and as they melt into the lime juice/onion marinade, taste it for tartness and heat (from the peppers). When it is still very tart, remove the ice cubes and the jalapenos.3. Pour the lime juice mixture over the fish and let it marinate for 10 to 15 minutes or until the fish is white and flaky.4. Garnish with corn kernels, tomatoes and thinly sliced jalapeno.5. Serve the ceviche family-style on a deep platter or spoon into individual serving dishes.